Catch construction



Dec. 3, 1963 em: 7 .1.. m

L. DE MARCO CATCH CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 4. 1961 INVENTOR. lows Defi/nkco United States Patent @hio Filed Get. 4, 1961, Ser. No. 142,841) 10 Claims. (Cl. 292-111) This invention relates to improvements in a catch construction, and more particularly to a catch for detachably connecting separable wall portions in a casket or other container.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a catch having a latch member with a desirable path of movement between unlatching and latching positions, with straddling guide surfaces for guiding an escutcheon into the latching position, with an overcenter locking action resisting the opening force in the latching position, and with the path of movement laterally restricted by a guiding action against the base plate and cover plate of the catch.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a catch characterized by its economy of manufacture, ease of assembly of its component parts, structural simplicity, strong and sturdy nature, ease of use, compact size, ease and smoothness of movement between latching and unlatching positions, safe operation, being held closed in latching position so that it will not open by itself in this position, multiplicity of functional advantages for some component parts, and many advantageous opera tional features.

Other features of this invention reside in the arrangement and design of the parts for carrying out their appropriate functions.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and description and the essential features will be set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partially cut away, of casket wall portions in partially closed relationship and with the catch in unlatching position;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 in FlG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional View taken along hte line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view, similar to FIG. 1, but with the casket wall portions in closed relationship and with the latch in latching position;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged portion of FIG. 1 showing another form of latch driving means;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FlG. 5; while FIG. 7 is a sectional view along the line 77 of FIG. 4.

Before the catch construction here illustrated is specifically described, it is to be understood that the invention here involved is not limited to the structural details or arrangement of parts here shown since the catch construction embodying the present invention may take various forms. It also is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein employed is for purposes of description and not of limitation since the scope of the present invention is denoted by the appended claims.

While the present invention might be adapted to various types of uses, it has been chosen to show the same as a catch construction 20 detachably connecting separable wall portions 11 and 12 in FIGS. 1 and 2. These wall portions may be lid wall 11 and cooperating base wall 12 of a casket or other closable container wherein the wall portions are movable along closing path D1 "ice between open and closed relationships and although wall portions 11 and 12 are only shown in either partially closed relationship P1 in FIG. 1 or in closed or abutting relationship P2 in FIG. 4 respectively, it should be readily apparent that they can be separated into the open relationship with a gap therebetween if they are connected together by a suitable hinge construction, such as found in a casket. Wall portion 12 has secured thereto sealing gasket 15 framing the opening and having upstanding lips 16 which are in compressed condition between the wall portions in the closed relationship shown in FIG. 4 to seal the casket against air leakage in or out.

Catch 20 includes a base plate or member 22 secured to wall portion 12 by screws 50, and includes latch member 24 movable along planar path P7 between latching position P6 in FIG. 4 and unlatclu'ng position P5 in FIG. 1. Latch 24 has a hook-like engaging portion 24a formed by an L-shape slot 24b in latch member 24 having entrance mouth surfaces 24b, 24b thereto. Hook 24a is constructed to engage with eye 26a of a strike or hook engager 26 secured to wall portion 11 by screws 28 and plate 27. When so engaged, hook 24a and hook engager 26 hold wall portions 11 and 12, with gasket lips 16 resiliently loaded, in the closed relationship and in latching position P2. Also, latch 24 has a V-slot 240 with the slot legs 24d and 24d thereof forming an acute angle and having a groove or depression 24 generally at the vertex thereof.

Catch 20 includes suitable latch actuating means for moving latch 24 between positions P5 and P6 with this actuating means including a first latch guide 36, a sec ond latch guide 32 in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 or second latch guide 32' in FIGS. 5 and 6 spaced from first latch guide 3%, and driving means 36 for moving latch 24 between these positions PS and P6.

First latch member guide 3% has a guide path D2 provided by first slot 22!) in base member 22 within which travels lug 24g on latch member 24 as a guide path or slot follower constructed for linear movement along the length of guide path D2 and for rotational movement relative thereto. Slot 22b straddles lug 24g to provide this movement action.

Second latch member guide (taking either the form of guide 32 in FIGS. 1 and 3 or guide 32' in FIGS. 5 and 6), with the aid of the first latch guide 30, guides the engaging portion 24a of latch member 240 sequentially in direction D4 generally across closing path D1 and in direction D5 generally in the direction of closing path D1 during travel from unlatching position P5 in FIG. 1 to latching position P6 in FIG. 4. Guide 32 in FIGS. 1 and 3 includes slot 24c surrounding rivetedtype, guide pin 33, which pin is fixed in hole 22a in base member 22 by riveting. Pin 33 has head 33a having washer 34 thereunder, and has shoulder 33b pulled against plate 22. Guide 32' in FIG. 6 includes member 34' with flange 34a having integral therewith guide pin 33 rotatably or pivotally mounted in hole 22a and retained therein by rolled out portion 33a. This guide pin 33 or 33 in slot 240 provides guided sequential movement of latch portion 24a in directions D4 and D5, as aforedescribed, as will be apparent hereinafter.

Driving means 36 moves latch member 24 between these positions P5 and P6. Pin 33 or 33' serves as a pivot. Pin 33 rotationally carries arm 39 integral with handle 42; and pin 33 is rigidly carried by flange 34a. Eccentric arm 39 or 39, the latter formed by flange 34a, carries second pin 38 in slot 24c as the driving pin. Pin 38 secured to arm 39 in FIG. 3 or 39 on disc 34a in FIG. 6 is embraced by a follower or roller 40 traveling in slot 240. The desired driving action may be applied either to pin 33 by handle 42 in FIG. 3 for 3 moving latch member 24 between positions F5 and F6; or to pin 33 in FIGS. 5 and 6 by a socket 44 integral with flange 34a in guide 32' constructed for detachably receiving a drive key to provide the drive.

In moving between positions P5 and P6, latch member moves in movement pl ne P7 determined by the following structure. Ease member 22 has a planar surface 22d extending parallel to path P7 of latch member movement, and latch member in FIG. 2 has a planar surface portion having dimples 24h struck up therefrom for bearing against planar portion 22d on base member 22 to provide a spacing action during this sliding movement of latch member 24 between the aforesaid positions. Cover member 48 is secured to base member 22 by screws 59 and has planar inner surface 48a extending parallel to surface 22d on base member 22 and to the latch movement path P7. Latch member 24 has laterally bent lug 24k slidably engaging surface 43a on cover member 48 so as to retain slot follower lug 124g in slot 2%, to prevent the operating forces on latch 24 from pulling lug 24g out of guide slot 221) and to force latch 24 to move in movement plane P7.

The following mode of operation occurs during sequentially moving top wall portion 11 downwardly in FIGS. 1 and 2 onto bottom wall portion 12 into the partially closed relationship P1 with latch 24 in unlatching position P5, and then moving latch 24 to latching position P6 to move wall portions 11 and 12 into the closed relationship P2 in FIG. 4. As wall portion ll moves downwardly into the partially closed relationship Pl along closing path Dl, hook engager 26 enters notch 22f in base member 22 in FIG. 1. Then, eye 26:: is properly aligned with book 24a in FIG. 2 because dimples 24/1 space hook 24a of latch member 24 away from surface 22.4 on base member 22 sufficiently far to align hook 24a with eye 26a in positions P5 and P6 while outer edge surface 26/1 of hook engager 25 guides on the outer surface of wall portion 22 during travel into latching position P6. Note that during this movement, opposite surfaces 24b- 24b in FIG. I on the mouth of latch member slot 24 straddle and diverge outwardly from this slot 24b to serve as a centering guide for hook engager 26 in unlatching position P5 and to accurately align wall portions 11 and 12 during movement into this unlatching position P5 without requiring additional locating telescoping pins and holes on walls Ill and 12.

After positions P1 and P5 have been reached in FIG. 1, latch 24 is driven by the rotational movement of either handle 42 or by a key in socket 44 to latching position P6 in FIG. 4. Then, hook 24a is moved sequentially in direction D4 generally across closing path D1 and in direction D5 generally in the direction of closing path D1 during travel from uniatching position P5 to latching positron P6. This two step movement path is a desirable movement path preferred in catch construction but which is not often obtained in catches. During this movement, pin 33 or 33 acts as a pivot, and also acts as a guide with lug 24g, so that rotation of pin 38 about pivot 33 or 33 causes latch 24 to move from position P5 to position P6 by an easy movement action. During travel in direction D4, gasket lips 16 are compressed as latch hook 24a moves along guide path D2 because this guide path D2 and slot 2% are inclined in the direction of the closing path Dl as they extend toward this guide path D1 and slot 221) is a straight slot approximately in linear alignment with guide and pivot pin 33 or 33'. When pin 33 or 33 fully enters slot leg 24d, continued movement of pin 38 causes lug 24g to pivot in slot 22b so that latch hook 24a swings in direction D5 to move the parts to the latching position P6 and to fully compress gasket lips 16 as shown in FIG. 7. In latching position P6 in FIG. 4, an overcenter rocking relationship is provided for latch member along line Ll relative to the line of force along line L in F16. 4 (extending along closing path Di and tending to pull top portion 11 open relative to bottom portion 12). This overcenter locking relationship is provided by having both pin 33 or 33' and pin 38 in latching position P6 located in one leg 24d of slot 24c and linearly aligned along line L1 in FIG. 4 intersecting force line L2, so that lifting force on the lid parallel to line L2 cannot move pin 33 upwardly. Recess or groove 24f partially surrounds pin 38 to lock latch member 24 in this position P6 so that vibration, jarring or shaking of casket 10 will not open wall portion 11. This groove 24] detachably locks pin 33 in latching position P6 because pin 355 is urged into groove 24 by the resiliency of compressed gasket lips M.

Now it should be apparent that catch 20 consists primarily of inexpensive die stamped metal parts, has a powerful latching action, has a compact size, works easily and smoothly, is safe is operation, and will not open by itself by either vibration or by the opening force applied along line L2 in FIG. 4.

Various changes in details and arrangement of parts can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from either the spirit of this invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A catch mechanism comprising a base member; a latch member overlying said base member; means mounting one end of said latch member to said base member for pivoting movement and longitudinal movement parallel with said base member; said latch member having a hook adjacent to one edge th reof; one of said members having a V-shaped slot therein having diverging leg portions; an arm generally overlying one leg portion of said slot; a pivot pin pivotally mounting one end of said arm to the other said member and projecting through said slot; a follower pin mounted to the distal end of said arm and disposed in said slot; a first of said pins disposed adjacent to the vertex of said slot and a second of said pins disposed in the divergent end of said one leg portion; a strike disposed adjacent to said hook; said V-shaped slot so oriented that when said arm is pivoted, said second pin moves from the divergent end of said one leg portion to the vertex of said slot and said first pin is moved to the divergent end of said other leg portion with said latch member being moved in a pivoting and sliding movement about said means relative to said base member to cause said hook to engage said strike and move said strike with said latch member.

2. A catch mechanism comprising a base plate; a latch member overlying said base plate; said latch member having a generally V-shaped slot adjacent to one end thereof, leg portions of which generally diverge toward one edge of said member; the other end of said latch ember mounted to said base plate for pivoting movement and longitudinal movement generally parallel with said one edge; said latch member having a hook adjacent to said one edge; an arm generally overlying one leg portion of said slot; a pivot pin pivotally mounting one end of said arm to said base plate and rojecting through said slot adjacent to the vertex of said slot; a follower element mounted to the distal end of said arm and disposed in the divergent end of said one leg portion; and a strike positioned adjacent to said hook in use of said mechanism whereby when said arm is pivoted about said pivot pin, said follower element moves from the divergent end of said one leg portion to the vertex of said slot and said latch member is moved in a pivoting and sliding movement relative to said base plate to engage said strike by said hook and move said strike therewith, the movement of said latch member disposing said pivot pin in the divergent end of the other leg portion of said slot.

3. A catch mechanism comprising a base plate for mounting to one member of a hinged enclosure in use thereof; a latch member generally overlying said base plate; said latch member having a generally V-shaped slot having leg portions diverging toward one edge of said member; an arm disposed parallel with and generally overlying one leg portion of said V-shaped slot; a pivot pin pivotally mounting one end of said arm to said base plate and projecting through said V-shaped slot adjacent to the vertex of said V-shaped slot; a follower element mounted to the distal end of said arm and disposed in the divergent end of said one leg portion of said V-shaped slot; said base plate having an elongated slot disposed generally at right angles to the other of said leg portions of said V-shaped slot and spaced from said pivot pin; said latch member having a lug slidably and pivotally disposed in said elongated slot; said latch member having a hook adjacent to said one edge; and a strike for mounting to the other member of a hinged enclosure positioned adjacent to said hook in use thereof whereby when said arm is pivoted away from said edge about said pivot pin, said follower element moves from the divergent end of said one leg portion to the vertex of said V-shaped slot and said latch member is moved in a pivoting and sliding movement relative to said base plate to engage said strike by said hook and move said strike therewith in a closing movement, the movement of said latch member disposing said pivot pin in the divergent end of the other leg portion of said V-shaped slot.

4. A catch mechanism as set forth in claim 3; said other leg portion of said slot being disposed at such angle that said follower element is pivotable by said arm beyond a plane passing through the axis of said pivot pin and disposed parallel with said closing movement of said strike to effect an overcenter engagement between said follower element and said latch member.

5. A catch mechanism as set forth in claim 4; means defining a groove in said slot adjacent to the vertex thereof into which said follower seats when it is in said overcenter engagement with said latch member.

6. A catch mechanism as set forth in claim 3; said diverging leg portions of said V-shaped slot defining an acute angle.

7. A catch mechanism as set forth in claim 3; said elongated slot being angled in the direction of said closing movement in such manner that during the sliding movement of said latch member, said member also moves in the direction of said closing movement.

8. A catch mechanism as set forth in claim 3; said hook formed in said one edge of said latch member by an L-shaped slot in said one edge; said L-shaped slot having opposite surfaces at the mouth of said slot diverging outwardly from said slot to serve as a centering guide for said strike to direct said strike into said L-shaped slot and align it for engagement with said hook during said sliding movement of said latch member.

9. A catch mechanism comprising a vertically disposed base plate; a latch member overlying said base plate; said latch member having a generally V-shaped slot adjacent to one end thereof, leg portions of which generally diverge upwardly; said base plate having a generally horizontal slot therein; said latch member having a lug adjacent to the other end thereof pivotally and slidably projecting into said horizontal slot in said base plate; said latch member having a horizontally directed hook at its upper edge; an arm overlying one leg portion of said V-shaped slot; a pivot pin pivotally mounting one end of said arm to said base plate and projecting through said V-shaped slot adjacent to the vertex thereof; a follower element mounted to the distal end of said arm and disposed in the divergent end of said one leg portion; and a strike positioned adjacent to said hook in use of said mechanism whereby when said arm is pivoted downwardly, said follower element moves from the divergent end of said one leg portion to the vertex of said V-shaped slot and said latch member slides generally horizontally and pivots downwardly while concurrently engaging said hook to said strike and carrying said strike downwardly, the downward movement of said latch member disposing said pivot pin in the divergent end of the other leg portion of said V-shaped slot.

10. A catch mechanism as set forth in claim 9; said generally horizontal slot being tilted slightly downwardly in the direction of horizontal sliding movement of said latch member to cause said other end of said latch member to move downwardly during said sliding movement; said other leg portion of said V-shaped slot being disposed at such angle that said follower element is pivotable by said arm beyond a vertical plane passing through the axis of said pivot pin to effect an overcenter engagement between said follower element and said latch member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 685,469 Hasenfiug Oct. 29, 1901 1,083,438 Dohse Jan. 6, 1914 1,573,866 Rogers Feb. 23, 1926 2,723,147 Slaughter et al Nov. 8, 1955 2,789,852 Eads Apr. 23, 1957 2,928,689 Mineah Mar. 15, 1960 2,997,323 Riser Aug. 22, 1961 3,048,435 De Marco Aug. 7, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 313,855 Italy Jan. 10, 1934 

1. A CATCH MECHANISM COMPRISING A BASE MEMBER; A LATCH MEMBER OVERLYING SAID BASE MEMBER; MEANS MOUNTING ONE END OF SAID LATCH MEMBER TO SAID BASE MEMBER FOR PIVOTING MOVEMENT AND LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT PARALLEL WITH SAID BASE MEMBER; SAID LATCH MEMBER HAVING A HOOK ADJACENT TO ONE EDGE THEREOF; ONE OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING A V-SHAPED SLOT THEREIN HAVING DIVERGING LEG PORTIONS; AN ARM GENERALLY OVERLYING ONE LEG PORTION OF SAID SLOT; A PIVOT PIN PIVOTALLY MOUNTING ONE END OF SAID ARM TO THE OTHER SAID MEMBER AND PROJECTING THROUGH SAID SLOT; A FOLLOWER PIN MOUNTED TO THE DISTAL END OF SAID ARM AND DISPOSED IN SAID SLOT; A FIRST OF SAID PINS DISPOSED ADJACENT TO THE VERTEX OF SAID SLOT AND A SECOND OF SAID PINS DISPOSED IN THE DIVERGENT END OF SAID ONE LEG PORTION; A STRIKE DISPOSED ADJACENT TO SAID HOOK; SAID V-SHAPED SLOT SO ORIENTED THAT WHEN SAID ARM IS PIVOTED, SAID SECOND PIN MOVES FROM THE DIVERGENT END OF SAID ONE LEG PORTION TO THE VERTEX OF SAID SLOT AND SAID FIRST PIN IS MOVED TO THE DIVERGENT END OF SAID OTHER LEG PORTION WITH SAID LATCH MEMBER BEING MOVED IN A PIVOTING AND SLIDING MOVEMENT ABOUT SAID MEANS RELATIVE TO SAID BASE MEMBER TO CAUSE SAID HOOK TO ENGAGE SAID STRIKE AND MOVE SAID STRIKE WITH SAID LATCH MEMBER. 